


Phantom Saints II: The Royal

by LeiBelladonna



Series: Phantom Saints [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe: Saints Row IV, Bro recognize that repressed trauma, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hamuko's a cool big sis, M/M, Makoharu & Ryuann is in the bg, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:53:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28202664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeiBelladonna/pseuds/LeiBelladonna
Summary: Set a year after the events of Phantom Saints, Ren Amamiya has become Japan's savior twice, which nets him the position of Prime Minister. As he becomes acclimated to his new responsibilities, he wakes up in a reality where Goro Akechi is nice, dead people are alive, and the Phantom Thieves never existed. He teams up with Hamuko Arisato to find out who's responsible. In this strange new reality, the Thieves rediscover themselves and face their fears and insecurities.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Arisato Minako, Akechi Goro & Female Persona 3 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Arisato Minako & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakura Futaba
Series: Phantom Saints [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065614
Kudos: 6





	1. From Thievery to Ministry

“What do I want?” Ren sat on the counseling couch with his hands behind his head. “Being Prime Minister is fun and all, but this whole leader thing isn’t something I’ll do forever. A small part of me wants some normalcy. You know like going to college and having a nice boyfriend like Goro Akechi, but without being a batshit insane murderer.” 

Ren’s road to ministry started with a call from Mitsuru Kirijo, the leader of the Operatives, to foil Takaya Sakaki’s plan to launch a nuclear missile towards Japan from London. He was a hippie who's been on a bad acid trip for almost ten years and thought Pangaea still exists, so of course the best course of action was to blow up Japan. He launched the missile, but Ren jumped on it just in time to dismantle it, saving Japan from nuclear destruction. The country loved him even more and elected him as Prime Minister. Yoshida became his second-in-command, Makoto was his advisor, and the rest of the Thieves were working with him (not as cabinet members though).

Since becoming Prime Minister, he decided to hire Maruki to ease his and the others' worries about being in a high-ranking position. Only six months into the job, and it became very overwhelming, but speaking to Maruki helped to ease his worries. 

“Noted. I mean I see,” said Maruki, jotting something down on his clipboard.

Ren looked at his watch. “Ah, damn. It’s almost time for the press conference. Next Tuesday?”

Maruki nodded. “Next Tuesday.”

The Prime Minister building was bustling with officials and guests on this busy midday. A tour guide led a group of middle school students to a preserved grey couch of special memories. “And this here is the couch where Ryuji Sakamoto was almost killed by a stripper.”

A student raised their hand. “Sir, killer strippers exist?”

“Yes, young one. Women are well rounded.”

Ren walked out of the counseling room to see Yoshida and Makoto. “Ren, there you are. Let’s walk and talk,” said Yoshida.

“So what’s the latest?” Ren asked, grabbing an apple from a nearby fruit basket as they walked through various rooms.

“Your approval rating is sixty-nine percent,” said Makoto.

“Nice.”

“You dropped twenty points after passing the Punch an Asshole act.”

“We’ll get them back. An executive order to make Fuck Shido Day an official holiday and giving catboys rights is going to be a sure fire hit.”

“You’re right about that,” said Yoshida.

“By the way, how are things going for you two?” asked Ren.

“Exhausted,” they said simultaneously.

“Don’t worry. I’ll give you two a vacay soon and all expenses paid.” He leaned to Makoto. “With a little special alone time with a certain someone.”

Makoto smiled. “Thanks.”

Ren walked down the hall leading to the press room. Yusuke stopped him along the way. “It has come to my attention that you’ve been considering passing a major bill, and the deadline is approaching.” He held up two bills. “Which do you prefer? Curing cancer or ending world hunger?”

“Damn, that’s a tough one. You know what: fuck cancer.”

“Good choice.”

He continued down the hall and a dickhead politician stepped in his path. “Hey kid, you wanna hear about a great political trick? It's called filibuster.”

“I think I'll...” Ren punched him in the dick. “Pass!”

Then there was Mishima. “Ryuji and I are heading to my place to watch some X Folders later. You down?”

Ren rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Yeah. I’ll… catch you later, Mishima.”

As he approached the press room, a rabid fanboy ran towards him. “I wanna have your babies!” Ryuji stepped in and slugged the guy.

“Nice one, Ryuji.” 

Futaba became exasperated by the second. She never thought she would be a press secretary, and boy this was as exhausting as she thought. She sighed. “The Prime Minister’s words were taken out of context.” Why the hell Ren would propose that school kids have the right to beat the shit out of their teachers?

A reporter joined in on the barrage of questions. “Futaba, what did you mean when you said the Danganronpa series and Nagito Komaeda are the devil incarnate brought to punish humanity for their sins?”

“I couldn’t make myself any clearer.” She called on another reporter. “Ohya-”

Ann and Haru stood near the press room's entrance and stopped Ren. “I think we have a problem,” said Ann.

“What is it?” asked Ren.

“Mitsuru’s waiting in your office. She’s been saying there’s strange activity at Tatsumi Port Island and even here in Shibuya,” said Haru.

“She thinks it's supernatural,” said Ann.

“Are there monsters?”

“No.”

“Killer robots?”

“No, but shrines were empty for New Years and people are _really_ happy to a fault,” said Haru.

“Okay? Over half of the country is satisfied with our work.” He tried to walk away before Ann grabbed his arm. 

“She might be onto something, especially since she’s been dealing with weirder things than us for a while,” she said.

“Alright, I’ll hear her out after this.” Camera flashes greeted him as he walked to the podium to take over from Futaba. 

“Thank youuuu,” Futaba whispered.

Ohya spoke. “Prime Minister Amamiya, are you planning to bring Goro Akechi to justice? Evidence and reports all but confirm he's responsible for the recent murders of Conspiracy members as well.”

Answering questions came easy to Ren. He either gave a serious response or was a smartass, but this one stomped him. He could see Futaba’s eyes narrow from the corner of his eye. “Those Conspiracy members got what was coming to them and Goro Akechi is doing a service to the country.” Futaba stared into his soul from across the podium. “However, we cannot excuse his previous crimes. Okay, the press conference is over.”

The shouts of reporters filled the room. “Prime Minister Amamiya!”

Ren made his way towards his office to meet Mitsuru while Futaba followed behind him. “Ren, you-”

“Sorry, Futaba. I got something to take care of. I’ll talk to you later.” He entered his office. “Kirijo-san, good afternoon.”

She turned around with widened eyes and holding a burger. “My apologies. The trip here was quite long, so I didn't eat anything.”

“No need to apologize. Sit and enjoy your burger.” They took a seat at the table in the center of the room. “So about this supernatural presence?”

She wiped the ketchup off her mouth with a napkin. “I have to be quite frank. It's strange how you passed a rather controversial law, yet your approval rating is quite high, and especially those empty shrines. That seems a little _too_ perfect for me.” Ren couldn’t protest. Under any other circumstances, his approval rating would’ve been ten percent by now just for the Punch an Asshole act. Mitsuru continued. “I rather be safe than sorry, but I’m warning you to closely monitor activity around the country.”

Considering Mitsuru’s experience in the Operatives, he should heed her words, but she seemed paranoid. However, he is a leader of a country, so he should take every precaution necessary to keep the citizens safe. “I’ll look into it.”

She smiled. “Thank you. Well I should be going now.”

After another exhausting day of Prime Minister duties, Ren unwound on his bed. He scrolled through his messages. Ryuji sent him a picture of his guys' night out with Mishima, and Yusuke happened to join them. Ann and Haru asked him to update them about Mitsuru, which he did. Makoto lectured him once again for his unprofessional conduct. Sumire didn’t message him for the past few weeks. He contacted her a few days ago and she blamed her radio silence on exhaustion. It was strange for her to be acting like this. He mustered up the rest of his energy to check up on her again, but drowsiness overcame him.

Ren woke up in a chair in front of a vintage TV playing Tom and Jerry. The house had a 1950s feel to it and not a Japan 1950s. It was American… strangely. He wore a black shirt with a blue plaid bermuda shorts with knee high white socks. The couches and chairs were a gaudy yellow and red while lime green wallpapers plastered the walls.

“Oh golly! What a dream.” He chipperly walked towards the stairs. “Breakfast sure smells great!” He slid on the stair railing down into the kitchen.

“Leave It to the Thieves! Brought to you by Carmen Chocolate. Making the best caramel chocolate since 1920,” said a narrator who sounded familiar.

“Morning, dear. I made you breakfast,” said Akechi wearing a blue sweater vest. He placed a stack of pancakes in front of Ren, which he dug into.

“Yum!”

“I’m glad you love it, dear. By the way, Mr. Kitagawa is going to Paris for a few weeks. He’s wondering if you can check his mail. Oh and your friend Futaba called. I bet she has something up her mischievous sleeve. That Futaba is such a card. And someone named Mishima stopped by earlier. I didn’t recognize him, so I just sent him away.”

Ren finished up his pancakes. “Thanks, honey.”

"Oh, could you fetch the morning paper too?"

"Sure thing!"

He strode outside and picked up the newspaper. Across the street was Makoto in a police uniform next to a car. “Are you ready to meet the fine people here? Well get in the car!” she said in a Southern drawl.

 _Something isn’t right._ “Um. Don’t I usually drive like eighty percent of the time?”

“It’s your world. Go ahead.” The car drove slow, and Makoto’s weird Southern drawl became more apparent. “They’re excited to meet ya!”

“They?”

She chuckled. “Why you have a strange sense of humor.”

 _Humor? What was even funny?_ “Doesn’t this sound weird to you?”

“No, everything’s fine and dandy. Oh boy! I can’t contain my excitement for the weekend. My girlfriend, sister, and I are going to the lake. I hear the fish are really bitin!”

“The fish are what now?”

“Don’t you worry now. We’re almost there.” 

They arrived at the diner where people gathered to witness Ren’s arrival. He waved and smiled at them before stubbing his toe on a street curb. “Ow, my toe!” A laugh track played.

He entered the diner, where a customer shook his hand. “I can’t believe I’m seeing the Prime Minister himself in the flesh.” The diner’s face suddenly became distorted.

“What the *beep*?” said Ren.

“We don’t use that kind of language here in… what even is this place?” said Makoto.

The patrons of the diner stalked towards Ren. He took it as the time to bounce and jumped back into the car. “What the *beep* is happening? Where the *beep* am I?” He drove towards a nearby park, and the car suddenly stopped, ejecting him. “Ah! What the *beep*?!” Cop sirens blared closer to him as he regained his posture. He reached to his side to find no gun. “Ah, *beep*. Guess I have to whip out the good ol’ fisticuffs.” He punched the shit out of several cops. The ground under him gave way, and he found himself in a bright room. 

A tall figure in a white suit stood across from him, but he couldn’t make out the figure’s appearance and voice. His vision was blurry and his hearing was muffled. “This rea… not… hoped… I need… over…”

Ren's eyes became heavy and everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ZE sequel is finally here. I was surprised when playing Saints Row IV to find out it's actually somewhat similar to Royal's third semester (except for the whole alien invasion part). I don't know exactly how many chapters this one will be, but it'll definitely be more than the first story's.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	2. Welcome to this Wild Maze of Weirdness

The morning sun hit Ren’s face, stirring him awake. The bedroom looked unfamiliar. The walls were a light blue and the nightstand had his glasses.  _ Weird...  _ He never had his glasses in close proximity to him. He felt his foot brush against something. Slowly turning his head, he saw a face he never thought he would see: Goro fucking Akechi in the flesh. In the same bed as him. Sleeping soundly. 

“AHHHHHHHHHH!” Ren tumbled out of the bed and onto the floor.

Akechi rubbed his eyes. “Did you have a nightmare?” he asked.

Ren picked up a nearby remote and pointed it at him. “Why are you here?! You’re supposed to be... I don’t know killing people!”

“What are you talking about?” He placed his hand on Ren’s forehead. “Doesn’t seem like you have a fever. Still you should take it easy today. I’ll make you some tea.”

Nice Akechi was freaking him the fuck out. “Are you okay?”

He smiled. “There you go. Being so concerned about others, but yes I am.” He kissed Ren’s cheek and left the room.

Ren touched his cheek. “Goro Akechi’s my *beeping* boyfriend...”

His phone went off and he looked to see a message from Sumire. _ Hey. Kasumi and I are going out for breakfast. Want to join?  _

_ Wasn’t Kasumi dead or is Sumire getting crazy or am I getting crazy or am I on salvia? Better see this for myself.  _ He couldn’t help but admire the organized and pleasant atmosphere of the apartment. The kitchen had a black granite island with high top chairs while the living room had a blue couch, coffee table, flat screen TV, and a blue rug covering the hardwood floors. A bookshelf stacked with math and science textbooks, philosophy books, and novels stood against the wall. Akechi and Ren’s shoes were lined near the door. This was creepy yet kind of nice? 

“I’m going out for breakfast with the Yoshizawas.” 

“Restless as always. Here.” Akechi handed him a mug of green tea. 

“Uh... thanks.”

Someone knocked at the door, and Ren edged towards it. He opened it to see Morgana bundled up in a blue coat and black scarf. Ren dropped his mug at the sight. “You’re alive...”

Morgana tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, always have been. Are y-“

Ren hugged Morgana. “I missed you.”

“We just went fishing two days ago.”

Ren looked at him with red eyes and snot dripping out his nose. “We did?”

“Goro, I think your man is so lovestruck that he’s forgetting about his friends. Sooooooo my fatty tuna?”

Akechi took out a large frozen tuna from the freezer. “Thank you!” Morgana walked towards the door with his tuna. 

“Aren’t you gonna wrap that?” asked Ren.

“No.” At least absurdity didn’t go away in whatever the hell this is.

“I should be going as well,” said Ren.

“Tell Sumire and Kasumi that I said hi,” said Akechi.

“Yeah… sure thing.” 

  
  


Hungry customers packed Shibuya diner to the brim. Children tugged on their parents’ coats, impatient to be seated and stuff their faces with pancakes while others passed the time by scrolling through their phones. Waiters shuffled through the crowds with mountains of food that would tip over at the slightest movement. The Yoshizawas waved down Ren from the back of the restaurant.

“Ren-senpai!” Sumire hugged him. 

Kasumi rolled her eyes. “You really can’t go a day without your study partner.”

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have passed American culture and film.”

Kasumi noticed Ren staring at her with his mouth agape. “You’re acting like you see a ghost? Is all that math and theories getting to you?” Ren kept staring. “Sumi, your bestie’s broken.”

“All that engineering is getting to his head,” said Sumire

He regained his composure. “Sumire, let’s go outside and talk."

“Um... okay?”

The frigid cold air outside relieved them from the stuffy hot air inside. “Senpai, you’re worrying me.”

“Doesn’t anything about this seem strange to you?” They were surrounded by a sea of unsettling smiling faces. 

“About what?”

“Your sister and Morgana being alive and Akechi being my boyfriend. Last time I checked, I was the Prime Minister, they were dead, Akechi’s the Punisher or something, and we weren’t doing no bull*beep* college work.”

Sumire stared at him as if he had three heads. “Those assignments are definitely getting to you.”

“C’mon, you must remember when we took down Shido on that cruise ship. You joined the Phantom Thieves because you wanted to kill that *beep*.”

Brief flashes of her sister’s dead body and the cruise ship played in her head. “Kasumi... Shido…" she whispered under her breath. 

“You alright?”

“Yeah... sorry... I don’t know what you’re talking about. Shido’s been arrested for years now and who are the Phantom Thieves?”

“You gotta be pulling my leg here.”

“I’m not. I…” She avoided his eyes. “really don’t know.”

“Su-”

“We should head back inside,” she said.

Two french toast slices, bacon, and a glass of orange juice later, he parted ways with the sisters. Guessing by Sumire’s reaction earlier, he must’ve triggered some memories. He walked towards the station, lost in his thoughts.  _ Dumbass me really doubted Mitsuru. I owe her a big apology... if I ever *beeping* get out of here. Wait, why are my thoughts censored?! God, is that you?! Stop it!  _ His argument with God stopped when he felt himself collide with a young woman. She had shoulder length brown hair with silver hair clips forming the Roman numeral XXII and had red eyes. She wore a long red coat, a white sweater with a v-shaped blue stripe, a grey plaid skirt with leggings, and a yellow scarf.

“Sorry!” she said with tear filled eyes. Suddenly, they were surrounded by a swarm of flying, black cloaks.

“What the hell?” He looked over to the woman who was paralyzed by the mere sight of them. “Take my hand!” She took his hand and they ran towards the underground walkway losing the strange beings and out of breath. A few passersby gave them judging looks, but weird enough no authorities approached them to question their suspicious behavior.

“Thanks for helping me back there,” she said.

Ren raised his index finger. That was the most exercise he did since the Operatives mission. “No... problem. Judging... by your face... I’m guessing you’re in your right mind,” he huffed.

She grasped his hands. “You’re not blissed out?!”

“I’m freaked the *beep* out.” They were attracting more onlookers by the second. 

“We should talk at my place.” 

  
  


Risette, Kanamin, Pink Argus, and Ann posters plastered her cream colored apartment walls. Her kitchen was the size of an office cubicle with black quartz countertops. Pots and pans ranging from red to black hung on the wall. The living room had a single brown couch and a small flat screen TV. Group photos with her friends decorated her brown barn wood coffee table. A teenage Mitsuru was in one of the pictures. Ren met Akihiko, Ken, Yukari, Aigis, and Junpei when Mitsuru first called him, but he didn’t see or hear any mention of this girl. Another frame had a young man with black hair and a beauty mark under his left eye, wearing a yellow scarf. 

She handed him a mug of hot chocolate. “Hamuko Arisato.”

“Ren Amamiya. Thanks.” He took a sip of the rich and smooth drink. “Now what the *beep* is happening?!” 

“I’m asking the same question. Friends who are dead are alive. No one has any recollection of what happened the last time I saw them. And everyone is acting without a care in the world.”

“Holy *beep*. The same thing is happening to me!”

Hamuko’s eyes widened. “Really?! Oh my god, I thought I was going crazy!”

“Me too!” He never felt so comforted to have someone understand him on this level since meeting Ryuji and Ann. “So you know who’s behind this weird place?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I tried going to this laboratory in Odaiba to get more info, but I’m banned there.”

“Oh, why?”

“Brandishing a naginata and taking out a guy’s eye.”

“Oooooo you Dazzling Demon! I’ll accompany you there and they can’t turn you down.”

“I love the name! Annnnnnd I think they would.”

He smiled mischievously. “If they don’t, we’ll just force ourselves in.”

She reciprocated his smile. “Sounds good.”

“And about those dementor looking things.”

“Yeah… them. Since I realized something was wrong here, they’ve been following me. They don’t attack me, but they always turn into people who I knew… Anyways, we’re meeting in Odaiba tomorrow morning, right?”

Ren nodded. “Right.”

As Ren slipped off his boots and hung his coat at the apartment door, he felt Akechi’s arms wrap around his chest. “How was your day?” 

_ Crazy.  _ “Great. I even made a new friend.”

“Not surprising.”

“Haha… yeah… I’m just a magnet… for weirdness.” He felt Akechi’s cheek against his neck.  _ Puck!  _ Ren turned around to face Akechi who looked at him with a warm smile.  _ This really isn’t right.  _ “Akechi, we need to-“ 

Akechi kissed him and led him to the couch. Ren lightly pushed his shoulders away.

“What’s wrong?” asked Akechi.

“Do we do things with our d- wieners?”

“No.”

“Only mouth to mouth? Not wieners in mouths? Wieners in hands?”

“Ren, chaste kissing only.”

Alas, even sex was banned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although I played Persona Q2 for a bit and got vibe checked by a chicken leg in the first dungeon and decided to drop it––forever–– I did like Hamuko's interactions with the Phantom Thieves and thought wow she would fit the chaotic energy of this AU. Also, Hamuko's outfit came from this [neat fanart](https://twitter.com/neekosiah/status/1276940499161669634?s=20). And happy holidays!


	3. The Ugly Truth

When Hamuko mentioned a lab, Ren thought it would be a drab building, not a vanity project smacked dab in the middle of an artificial island. Camera lens protruded out of a white orb and a silver walkway led to an elevator. He remembered a stadium being under construction here back in his reality. Passersby were unaware of the flashy building. 

“Now, we need a disguise for you,” said Ren. A lab worker was eating a turkey sandwich on a bench nearby. “That guy’s lab coat looks optimal, and you could even hide your weapon.”

Hamuko approached him. “Hi, sir. Nice lab coat you got there. Looks quite sophisticated.”

The man dropped his sandwich. “I-I-I-I-I-I-”

She caressed his arm. “I would love to try it on.”

“O-o-o-o-oh s-sure!” He stripped off all his clothing, leaving only his underwear.

“Aw, thank you!” She winked at Ren. “Let’s get to infiltrating.”

They cruised through security and walked to the entrance hall where groups of people talked amongst themselves. Doves flew around in the white interior hall and security cameras hung from every corner. 

A voice came from the heart shaped structure from above. “Welcome, and thank you for coming, patients. You will be guided to one of our speciality care facilities according to your individual desires. We will assist each and every one of you. Rest assured. Everyone can become happy.”

“Become happy?” said Hamuko.

They looked around at the bevy of smiling faces. “This place feels more like a cult,” said Ren.

They approached a grey side door where a guard stood. “A new worker? I haven’t seen you here before.” He took a step closer towards Hamuko. “And you look way too young.” She didn’t know to be either offended or flattered that someone couldn’t tell that she was almost thirty.

“I just started today, and I wanted to show this fine guest our magnificent laboratory.”

“We don’t offer tours, especially to your friend back there.”

They looked back to see Sumire, peeking from a pillar. She backed away. “I’ll just...”

“There’s no point,” Ren sighed.

“And there’s no point trying to get in. So scram,” said the guard.

Hamuko karate chopped the guard in the neck, and his body thudded to the floor. 

Ren flashed a thumbs up. “Anyways, Sumire, why did you follow us?”

“Um... I saw you guys outside, and I was curious about why you would come here.” 

_Could she be the reason for this place?_ Her strange behavior back in Shibuya and now this. Ren didn’t want to entertain the thought, but it was plausible. “You should tag along.”

As they neared a large room, another guard intercepted their path. “I cannot let you pass if you wish to resign your salvation.” Ren and Hamuko pointed their weapons at them.

“Ren, should we really do this?” asked Sumire. 

“We need answers, but we can’t just accept the words of this random guy.”

Before she could respond, the guard turned into a red dragon wielding a trident. “What. The. *Beep* Is. That?” said Ren.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention there's monsters in this place," said Hamuko. The dragon slashed its claws at her, but she dodged it and cut off its arm. Ren followed up with a gunshot to its head, killing it.

They proceeded down the hall to see a figure in a white suit in the room up ahead. “It’s been quite a while.” The figure turned out to be Maruki with his brown hair slicked back.

“I just saw you the other day,” said Ren. 

“Dr. Maruki?! Did the grated apples improve your dish?” asked Sumire.

Maruki sighed. “The one time I try to be cool. But yes, Sumire, it came out super tasty. Anyways, I figured you would infiltrate this place."

“And I guess you’re the one responsible for this reality,” said Hamuko.

“Yeah.”

His bluntness caught her off guard. “Wait, so you created it?” 

“That’s right. I’ve gained the power to alter reality and to make people’s desires come true.”

“Okay, I need you to change it back,” said Ren.

“Is that how you really feel?”

“If you really made a perfect reality, I would be Dante’s pupil.”

“I can make that a reality.”

“Really?”

Hamuko looked at him in disbelief. “Ren!”

“The old reality was full of suffering and reverting it back would only bring more pain to Yoshizawa-san,” continued Maruki.

Sumire clung onto Ren’s arm. “Ren, we can’t go back.” 

“I know it would be painful, but do you want to live a lie? You know this isn’t right,” said Ren.

“No! You don’t understand! If I wasn’t weak… she would still be here…” 

Maruki shook his head. “This was what I was avoiding.”

Her knees gave out, and she fell to the floor. “Everything became so hard... unbearable. If she was alive, it would be the only way to live,” Sumire continued.

“I had to grant her this wish. If Sumire can live a happy life with Kasumi, then this would be the best reality.”

Hamuko clutched her naginata. “So you rather make someone accept the reality you created than truly help them heal?”

“That’s how you view it, huh? I want to stop the suffering of people like Yoshizawa.” He held out his hand to Sumire. “Which reality you wish to inhabit? One where Kasumi’s dead or the one where she’s alive.”

“Don’t be manipulated!” said Ren.

“I’m sorry... I have to do this,” Sumire said.

“Please don’t hold this against her. You two sense doubts in this reality, but you’re not excluded from the people I wish to save. Would you accept my deal for your happiness, Amamiya?” said Maruki.

“Shove it up your *beep*. I’ll find my own happiness.”

“So no deal.” Blinding lights shone in their faces as Maruki’s subordinate grabbed Sumire with its tentacle and placed her in Maruki’s arms. 

“This is getting weird...” said Ren.

“I don’t intend to harm her. However, you’ve made it clear that you reject her reality.” Maruki tried to reach out to them once more. “I want to come to terms with you.” He stared at Ren, who twirled his knife and gun. “Without violence.”

“Sorry, but that’s the only language I speak.”

“Violence isn't my thing.” He nodded to his subordinate. It walked towards the duo, convulsing into a hovering black tentacle monster with legs and glowing yellow holes on its body.

“Jesus Christ, this is like the beginning of a hentai.”

The monster blew a strong gust of wind, knocking Ren and Hamuko back. They stabbed the ground with their weapons to hold themselves in place.

“Ren, slash it and I could finish it off!” said Hamuko.

“Gotcha!” The wind ceased, and Ren charged towards it, dodging its strikes. He closed the gap and slashed it, and Hamuko pierced her blade through it.

“Further negotiations are off the table,” said Ren.

“For now, but how about this? I’ll give you a week to experience this reality once more and then you’ll make your decision a week from today on January 9th,” said Maruki.

“Do you think we’ll just obey your orders?” 

“Yup.” Maruki snapped his fingers, disappearing from the room with Sumire.

“Dammit. He got away.”

“We should pull back for now,” said Hamuko.

  
  


The clanking of plates and cups added to the cacophony of thoughts running through Ren and Hamuko's mind as they sat in a cafe. _How_ did Maruki get the ability to change reality? And why were they the only ones who noticed that lab? And Sumire. “So it was that unbearable for her… If Maruki's intentions are true then Sumire may have been the catalyst for this,” he said.

“We need to save her,” she said.

Ren nodded. “If we’re more informed about what’s going on, we’ll be at a greater advantage. We should gather intel and in the meantime I’ll talk with the rest of my friends. Hopefully, they come to their senses.”

They went their separate ways and agreed to contact each other when new information popped up. He decided to go back to the apartment for the day and called Kasumi to inform her of Sumire’s whereabouts, but their family believes that Sumire’s at training camp. That bastard’s really changing reality as he likes. 

He closed his eyes and hung his head over the couch. Akechi hovered over him. “Hey there.”

Ren jumped up, knocking his forehead into Akechi’s. “Ow!” They both cried out. 

“Sorry,” said Ren.

“No, don’t be. I shouldn’t have frightened you like that.” Polite Akechi was quite unsettling yet kind of cute. He sat next to Ren. “I was worried about you.”

“Wait, what? Why?”

“You’ve been acting strange lately. Is everything okay?”

Oh right. Pointing a remote like a gun and accusing your "boyfriend" of being a killer makes you look like a madman, but maybe his concern could work to Ren's benefit. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about our history together.”

“Our anniversary isn’t until September.”

“I- uhhhh not like that. You know about how we met and all. I love... uhhhh... hearing it a lot.” He scooted closer to Akechi. Akechi took this as a chance to kiss, but Ren stopped that with a finger to his lips. “Storytime first then kiss.”

Akechi pouted. “You’re such a tease.” He huffed then started the story. “We first met at that TV station during your school trip.” So he actually talked with Akechi that day and didn’t heckle “suck my ass!” from the audience? “We exchanged numbers and started hanging out with each other. Then some months later we started dating. Before I went to Tokyo University, I retired as a detective, and you went a year later.”

 _I actually have a normal life with some sense of mental stability?_ He thought back to his last therapy session with Maruki. “Holy *beep*!”

“Ren, language.”

“Sorry. Anyways, are you happy here?”

Akechi narrowed his eyes. “Of course. You’re here with me. Where is this coming from?” 

Ren scratched the back of his neck. _I’m about to sound like a madman but here goes._ “Last time I remembered seeing you, we were fighting together on a cruise ship.”

“Cruise ship? ”

“And our real relationship is... complicated.”

“Real relationship? So what’s here now... is fake to you?” There was a tinge of hurt in his voice.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that! Well- See this reality here is fake. Back in the real one, we were enemies, but we worked together to take down Shido. Then you disappeared.”

Akechi cringed at the mention of Shido. “I told you not to mention him...”

“*beep*! I’m sorry!” 

Akechi got up from the couch and walked towards their bedroom. Ren followed after him, only to be rebuffed. “I need to be alone for the day.”

Ren never thought he would be exiled to the couch before even getting married, but here he was, lying here and his brain running a mile a second. He groaned into his pillow. For his sanity, he had to call it a night already.


	4. Blissful Ignorance

Ren groaned as the sun shone through the living room windows, waking him up. He looked at his phone to see that it was 7 a.m. The apartment was silent and Akechi’s shoes were still by the door. His body moved by itself towards the fridge. Time to make the classic.

He peeked his head into the bedroom with a tray of curry and coffee to see Akechi sleeping. Ren slowly put the tray near his nose, waking him up.

“Good morning,” Ren said.

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Akechi placed his hand over Ren’s. “I’m sorry for abruptly walking away like that. Honestly the more that I thought about what you said defeating my father doesn’t sound so bad.” He faintly chuckled.

“You don’t have to talk about it. I was a d-bag for springing up bad memories.”

“You made me realize that I’ve been avoiding talking about him because... I wish his punishment was greater.”

“Weird… isn’t this reality supposed to provide everything you wanted?”

“Hm?” He tilted his head like a curious puppy.

“Don’t mind me. Eat up or else it’ll get cold.” As he left the room, he felt Akechi tug on his arm.

“You promised something.” He pressed his lips against Ren’s.

“Oh! Yeah... haha...” He felt like a love-struck high schooler who finally got her lifelong wish of kissing senpai behind the school. He sunk to the floor after exiting the room. _This Akechi is my ideal one._ Yeah, the real Akechi was… something, but at least he had the freedom to be himself in their reality. Ren’s offhand comment to Maruki made Akechi a puppet. The very thing he hated.

Futaba texted him about meeting at Akihabara. On his way, he spotted Makoto and Sae at the underground walkway in Shibuya.

“Oh, Ren, I didn’t expect to see you here,” said Makoto.

“Same to you. Uh… sup, Sae.”

“Nonchalant as always,” Sae chuckled.

“So, what are you guys up to today?”

“We’re buying party supplies for Sis’s party. She was promoted to chief public prosecutor,” said Makoto.

“It’s not that big of a deal, Makoto,” said Sae.

“Tell that to dad when he cries a river.”

“Wait, he’s alive?” asked Ren.

“Yeah… you know you shouldn’t joke about things like that,” said Makoto.

“I’m not. Doesn’t all of this seem odd?”

“Odd?”

Ren exasperatedly sighed. “Makoto, your father’s dead, you quit the police force, and your sister was never this friendly with me.”

“You’re acting strange.”

“Makoto, stop lying to yourself.”

Sae glared at him. “What are you talking about? You’re not making any sense.”

He shot a glare back at her before turning back to Makoto. “You know this is a lie. That all of this isn’t real.”

“What? Can’t you just be happy for me? I haven’t felt this way since-” She remembered the fighting arena and Shinjuku. “I… need to go.” She walked away, leaving him with Sae.

“I know you had no malicious intent, but please let her be.”

He felt bad for scourging up her memories like that in public, but he had a bit of hope that maybe his teammates would come to their senses based on her reaction.

He arrived at Akihabara to see Futaba with Sojiro and Wakaba standing outside a video game store. Ren stood there stupefied. Every night after Leblanc closed, Futaba kept him company as he tallied up the numbers for the day. She told him stories about her mother, the day she died, the men who led her to believe she drove her mother to despair, and when Sojiro took her in. Seeing Wakaba here laughing with them felt surreal.

“Wow… it's so funny how we’ve been walking in circles for a while… Oh wow! Look at that Featherman limited edi-”

“Motion for additional funding: denied,” said Wakaba.

“You didn’t even let me finish,” she pouted.

“Okay, go on.”

Futaba cleared her throat. “As I was saying. Due to my exceptional academic performance recently, I would like to request this Featherman limited edition video game collection.”

“Denied.”

Futaba clutched her chest. “Ugh! My case was dismissed.”

“Don’t even try to get that poor boy Yusuke to buy it for you.”

“Mom! I wouldn’t do that to him.” She peered her head out from her mother’s side to see Ren still dazed. “Uh, Ren?”

Sojiro looked at his watch. “We should be heading back. You two should meet up with us after you’re done shopping for lunch at the cafe.” He walked to the station with Wakaba.

“Alrighty. Man, he always makes sure we spend quality brother and sister time together.” She looked at Ren. “And I’m surprised Goro didn’t tag along. You guys are always glued together.”

Hearing her refer to Akechi as Goro unsettled Ren. He knew she wanted to talk about Akechi that day, yet he ignored her––the same thing he always done when Akechi was brought up. And here he was, planning to rip her away from her mother.

He felt a lump in his throat as he tried to find the right words. “You’re… pretty happy here, aren’t you?” he asked with a hoarse voice.

“Uh yeah. You’re acting like an alien.” She pulled his arm. “C’mon live with us again. All that mushy love stuff you’re into now is getting to your head.”

“Futaba, you have to move on…”

Her brows furrowed. “Move on? From what?”

He grasped her hands. “I know you’ll see through this. You’ve always seen through the lies.”

“...lies…?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why am I…” _There’s no way she would’ve committed suicide like that._ Her mind flashed back to the cruise ship exploding. She wiped away her tears. “Sojiro and mom are waiting… I’ll… see you…”

Ren could only watch her run to the station. “I’m sorry…”

Art exhibitions weren’t Ren’s thing, but he endured them for Yusuke’s sake, and this time wasn’t any different. He spotted Yusuke viewing the Sayuri. Yusuke gave it to his friend, Hifumi Togo, when thief work became hectic. Now it was at Leblanc. Here the Sayuri hung alongside other beautiful works as crowds of people admired it.

“Ah, Ren! I was just thinking about contacting you.”

Ren was amazed by the beauty of the portrait. “Wow, I forgot how breathtaking it was.”

“To think my mother’s painting would finally receive the public attention that it deserves. It was honestly unimaginable prior to this.”

“I’m glad we could see it together.”

“I share the same sentiment.” Yusuke gave the painting a proud and tender look. “I’ve waited so long to see this painting here. My drive to create a masterpiece of this caliber grows stronger everyday... and I’m brought closer to this goal thanks to my sensei’s patronage.”

Ren tore his eyes from the painting to look at Yusuke. “Madarame, that fraud?”

“Fraud? How dare you talk about sensei like that?!”

“You know damn well he’s an abusive piece of *beep* who took advantage of you and others.”

“Ren, watch your language. And how dare you slander him?! I am forever grateful for him. It’s thanks to him that my mother’s painting is here, and he was kind enough to take me in after my mother’s passing.” He glared at Ren. “You should leave…”

“Isn’t the Sayuri supposed to be somewhere else?” asked Ren.

“What do you mean...” He looked at the painting. “Something’s not right...” Flashes of his real memories popped up.

“Yusuke-”

“Leave!”

The room fell silent and all eyes glued to them. Ren backed away from Yusuke. “’l’ll just go…”

_I’m such an *beep*._

Later that day, Haru stood with her father in front of a potential Big Bang Burger location in Kichijoji, discussing possible prospects for the location. She spotted Ren approaching.

“I’m so glad you’re alright! I got worried when you didn’t answer my messages,” she said.

“Uh… sorry for making you worry like that.”

Kunikazu glared at him. “You were the gentleman who had my daughter worried sick?”

“Father!”

Maybe he should turn tail before he dies from laser eye beams. “No, sir! I mean yes... sorry...”

“I’m only joking,” he said, laughing. “My daughter speaks highly of all her friends, especially you.”

“This is embarrassing,” she pouted.

“Okay, I’ll tone down on the doting, but I’m glad you have supportive friends. As long as you are happy, I am as well.”

“Father...” she said in a shaky voice.

Ren felt like he was intruding on a sentimental moment, but he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. After years of isolation and being used as a tool, she finally got her wish: a loving father.

“We don’t have a busy day, right? If you’re free, we should have lunch together,” said Haru.

“Sure, you pick the place,” Ren said.

He expected a nice, fancy restaurant that served gourmet steak, not Big Bang Burger. Turns out Haru and Kunikazu were discussing a location that would serve plant-based products alongside the traditional menu items, and Ren would be their first taste tester. His diet wasn’t what you called healthy. He drank strange energy drinks (used those same energy drinks as instant noodle broth), ate plenty of sweets and instant noodles, and don’t forget colossal Big Bang Burgers. It improved slightly when he lived in Leblanc and became Prime Minister. Now he ate a lettuce leaf with his instant noodles. A perfect balance. But a whole plant patty in something that’s supposed to be greasy? Hell no.

The two looked in anticipation as Ren took a bite of the burger. He chewed for a bit. It tasted just like a burger. He chewed for a bit more. Or does it? He chewed the rest and swallowed. The more he thought about it not being a burger the more apparent that it didn’t taste like real beef.

“So?” asked Kunikazu.

Haru followed. “What do you think?”

He really shouldn’t have swallowed that bite. “It’s... great! Juicy like a real burger. Healthy.” He wanted to gag. “Delicious.” Oh, that pained him.

They both sighed in relief. “I worried that the first impression would be lukewarm or worse,” said Haru.

“It’s a good step then. Hopefully, reception to this is positive and we can expand to more plant-based foods,” said Kunikazu.

“You guys use all-natural beef for the burgers too?” asked Ren. Big Bang in their reality didn’t have the best reputation when it came to the authenticity of their ingredients.

“Of course! Since its founding and we never stopped. The chicken, potatoes, and even coffee are all natural as well,” said Haru.

Kunikazu looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, we need to cut this short. It was nice talking with you.”

“Same to you.” That sounded weird to say. As Haru left, Ren stopped her. “He’s a great father, huh?”

She smiled. “He is. He can be doting at times, but I couldn’t ask for a better father.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“Huh? Well help my father expand the company... Wait... am I forgetting something?” Memories of her at a party flashed. “A party? That was when-“

Kunikazu poked his head into the restaurant. “Haru, we should be going now. I need to get those limited edition wafers before we run more errands.”

“I’m coming!” She looked over to Ren with an unsure look on her face.

“I’m sure it’ll come back to you.”

Her eyes spoke of the guilt she felt about not remembering. “I’ll talk to you later.”

The next morning Ren scrolled through his social media feed while eating his curry at the kitchen island. It did feel kinda weird to have a small number of followers. Although, he never did post on it back in the real reality. He looked through his follower’s profiles to see Kawakami’s bio stating how she’s the principal of her own high school, Mishima being a PR guy turned successful movie director, and Ryuji was a world-famous track star.

Ren spat out his coffee. “What the *beep*?!”

Akechi sat on the couch reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. “Language.”

“Wait, so Ryuji’s leg is fine?!”

“Yeah. It always has been.”

Ren wanted to cry tears of joy. Then he remembered he’s supposed to make his friends come back to their senses. “He’s still with Ann?”

“Yes...”

He leaped up from his seat. “We’re going to Harajuku today.”

Teens and young adults wearing colorful clothing crowded the streets. Stylish clothing lined boutique windows on Takeshita Street as swarms of people bought the newest arrivals. Ren peered into the window of Calbee Plus where a server was preparing potato chips on top of vanilla ice cream. A crime against desserts.

He heard a cheerful voice come from behind him and Akechi. “What’s...” A hand gripped both of their shoulders. “Bonkin!” They turned around to see Ryuji with Ann and Shiho.

“I’m about to be the fifth wheel. Time to take my leave,” said Shiho.

“Shiho!” said Ann.

“I’m kidding. I got Ryuji and Ren when you and Goro get carried away.”

Ryuji’s black hair caught Ren’s attention. “What the eff?! You don’t dye your hair anymore?!”

“Wow that’s some way to greet a friend,” said Ryuji.

“Tarnation!”

“Joking. I dye it once in a while, but I wanted a change y’know.”

“It suits you, especially with those eyebrows.”

Shiho snorted. “I was saying the same thing!”

Ryuji groaned. “You two are a match made in heaven.”

Shiho placed her hand on her chest like a snobby heiress. “We live to tease.”

Ren went back on track with his true objective. “I see that your leg’s fine now.”

“Yeah. It always has been... or was it?” Ryuji furrowed his brows.

“Hm, you guys are acting weird,” said Shiho.

“Shiho, didn’t you transfer from Shujin?” Ren asked.

“No, I graduated with you guys, remember? I’ve been living with Ann and Ryuji since then and you know living out the volleyball dream.”

So even her reality was rewritten. Guess Maruki really did want the best for everyone. Shiho’s voice knocked Ren out of his trance. “Anyways, where are those two?”

They looked around to see Ann and Akechi out of their sight. Ryuji sighed. “She must’ve dragged him to buy her crepes.”

Shiho smirked. “If I was you, I would buy her crepes whenever she asked no matter what.”

“Easy for you to say if your pocket wasn’t burning.”

Turns out the two were at the crepe stand. Ann stood there with a strawberry and Oreo crepe in each hand, alternating between taking bites from them while Akechi didn’t bite into his.

“You gonna eat that?” asked Ren.

He shook his head. “It’s for you. It’s coffee flavored.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Consider it your treat for the curry.”

Ren’s cheeks grew warm. Bringing Akechi here was a mistake.

“Aw, you’re so red,” said Ann.

“I-it’s the weather. Let’s go shop!” He marched towards the nearest store.

They ended up inside of Daiso, a hundred-yen store. This wasn’t the ideal place, but it was good enough to serve as a distraction for Ryuji, Shiho, and Akechi. Ryuji and Shiho browsed around the candy section while Akechi looked at the stationary. Ren and Ann perused through the clothing section.

She picked out a black cap with the numbers 134340 and posed in it. “Like it?”

Ren nibbled on his crepe and gave her a thumbs up. “How are things for you?”

“Great! I recently got an offer to model for an overseas magazine.”

He always remembered that being one of Ann’s dreams. “Oh, Fashionista Today?”

“Yup! I’m glad you wanted to meet with us today since I’m going to London next week.”

“You’re fine with all of this?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I? Ryuji and Shiho are achieving their...”

“You’re forgetting something.”

“Wait… didn’t she leave… and we formed the… No! What are you trying to say?! Everything’s fine.”

“Ann, stop running away.”

“I am not running away from anything!” The commotion within the store halted. Her bright blue eyes turned dull. “... I’m feeling tired...” She walked away as Ryuji came up to her with a bag of candy. “Let’s go home…” Ryuji gave Ren a worried look before walking away. Ren could only avert his eyes from them.

Akechi walked over to him. “You have to stop probing. Everything’s-“

“Nothing is fine! Nothing about this world. This reality. Look around everyone is just smiling and being happy like everything is freaking okay!”

“Maybe your studies are stressing you out.” He placed his hand on Ren’s shoulder, but Ren brushed it away.

“It’s not that!” Customers turned their gaze at the two. Ren ran his fingers through his hair. “I need some time alone.” He brushed past Akechi.

“Ren, wait!”

He didn’t know where he was going, but he couldn’t be here. He pushed through crowds of people to get to the train station and entered the first train in sight. He pressed his back against the train door and buried his face into his knees, stifling his yells and tears.The commuters glared at him. He didn’t care. There was no point in holding it in anymore.

_So, this is what they wanted._

“Hellooooooooo?”

The smell of garbage and alcohol greeted Ren before he opened his eyes to see Hamuko hovering over him. He jerked up and a striking pain stabbed his head. “Ow!”

“Take it easy. Rough day, huh?”

“Don’t get me started.” A burning sensation crept up his throat, causing him to hurl on the ground. He looked around the alley. Just outside were bright lights. “Where the hell am I?”

“Shinjuku.” She pointed to the nearby dumpster. “And you were in that.”

“Well schist. Can I crash at your place for the night? My “boyfriend” and I got into... a disagreement or something.”

“Ooooo a boyfriend?” she cooed.

He rolled his eyes. “My fake one.”

“Sureeeeee.”

“To the “boyfriend” or staying at your place?”

“Both.”

While Ren sat and watched Featherman reruns on her couch, she boiled a cup of ginger for him. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Why were you in Shinjuku?” he asked.

“Looking for intel. I’ve been researching Maruki and turns out he isn’t as well-known as I expected. Word of mouth led me to Shinjuku to a cabaret where a journalist frequents.”

“Great! So whatcha got?”

“About that. She was piss drunk. You gotta catch her on her good days.”

“Schist.”

“How did your talks with your friends go?”

He froze up. The angry faces and retorts of his friend replayed in his head. “Crappy. They were all so unaware about the past.” He dug his nails into the couch. “I should be happy, right? They’re happy. They have their family and their dreams. But they’re just smiling… like nothing happened. Like we didn’t go through all that crap and none of it happened.” The memories from high school flooded in. The rumors. The whispers. The glares. “I’m alone… again…”

“They’ll come around. I’m sure of it.”

“I pissed some of them off, so who knows if they’ll ever come to their senses.”

Hamuko’s eyes lingered on the portraits on her coffee table. “When I started to realize something was up with this place, my friends disappeared.”

“Disappeared? Are my-”

“No, Sumire seemed to be aware that this world is fake and she’s still here.”

Ren breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew.” He looked at the portrait of Mitsuru. “So you know, Kirijo?”

“I _knew_ her. We used to go to Gekkoukan together. Wait how do you know Mitsuru?”

“You don’t know? I worked with her to stop Hippie Guy from blowing up Japan.”

“Sakaki? You killed that S.O.B.?”

“Nah. He jumped off the skyscraper as he launched the nuke, and he went” Ren clapped his hands. “Splat.”

“Well good riddance either way.”

“Then I became Prime Minister.”

Hamuko raised her eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Wait, you don’t kno-” He thought back to the longing looks at the portraits and the weird cloaked figures. _I knew her._ “You’re… dead?”

She nodded. “Back in the other reality, but I came back to life here.”

“So, if we leave this reality then you’ll be gone for good. Do you really want to do this?”

“None of this is right, especially what he’s doing to Sumire. I can’t stand it.”

“But Hamuko, we could try to-” His phone rang, and he felt his heart at his throat. It was Ann. “Hey, sorry about today,” he answered.

“No, don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have lashed out like that.” There was a moment of silence before she continued. “When you asked me if I forgot something, I remembered all these things… like us on plane… Shinjuku… and an explosion. Ryuji said the same happened to him. I don’t know what this is, but… it feels familiar. But enough about me. Are you alright?”

“I’m okay. I’m at a friend’s apartment.”

“Good. By the way, I cancelled my photo shoot with Fashionista Today."

“Why? It’s your dream.”

“It is but being here for you comes first. Also, Goro told me about what happened between you two.”

He had five missed calls and ten messages from Akechi. He stopped messaging or texting about an hour before Ren blacked out. “Ah, sugar nuggets!”

“He’s been worried sick. I know you’re not in the best mood but talk to him soon.”

He sighed. “Alright and thanks for everything.”

“Anything for you.” He hung up the phone and turned to an amused Hamuko.

“Go on. Talk to your “boyfriend”.

“You’re something else.”

Ren placed his hand on the doorknob in the apartment. _Here goes._ The smell of dirty water slapped Ren across the face. He saw Akechi hunched over the sink, spitting out coffee.

Akechi glared at him. “Pretend you didn’t see that,” he said in a raspy voice.

Ren stood there dumbfounded. “No way... Akechi...” Only way to prove that Akechi came back to his senses was to say something unusual. “Stripper pole.”

“What? I’m not tolerating your asinine statements unlike your friends.”

“Oh schist! It’s really you!” He ran towards Akechi and hugged him.

“Get off of me!”

“Sorry...”

“It’s o- Never mind. Based on that reaction you know what’s going on.”

Ren nodded his head until it felt like it would fall off. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Ren gave Akechi the rundown. “That *beep*hole made me 1950s house husband?! Why am I censored?”

“I was repressing that memory and yeah, but you get used to it.”

“I guess I’ll work with you… again.”

“I thought sparing you would bite me in the ass.”

“If I wanted to kill you, trust me you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Wow... thanks man.”

Akechi gave him a befuddled look. “Anyways, how is the progress of your investigation?”

“About that. We’ve hit a roadblock.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay the real Akechi is back!
> 
> Initially, the stirring up old memories part was heavily based on the game's dialogue. However, after seeing the [unused version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJKZXxuMZmk) of these conversations, I decided to rework the conversations. I feel the version we got in game was kinda dry and passive.
> 
> Also, credit to my friend for suggesting the energy drink instant noodle broth. And Ren eating that burger was totally not my experience eating the impossible whopper... ha... ha...
> 
> I'm really excited to post the next chapter which will be Goroham centric and lighter in tone. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


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